US7637506B2 - Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof - Google Patents

Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof Download PDF

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Publication number
US7637506B2
US7637506B2 US11/521,967 US52196706A US7637506B2 US 7637506 B2 US7637506 B2 US 7637506B2 US 52196706 A US52196706 A US 52196706A US 7637506 B2 US7637506 B2 US 7637506B2
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tournament
play
players
cards
blackjack
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US20080067743A1 (en
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Theo Naicker
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Fusion Holdings Ltd
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Waterleaf Ltd
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Priority to AU2007214029A priority patent/AU2007214029B2/en
Priority to CA002600227A priority patent/CA2600227A1/en
Priority to AT07253661T priority patent/ATE531433T1/de
Priority to EP07253661A priority patent/EP1900401B1/de
Priority to DK07253661.8T priority patent/DK1900401T3/da
Priority to ES07253661T priority patent/ES2376592T3/es
Publication of US20080067743A1 publication Critical patent/US20080067743A1/en
Priority to US12/590,349 priority patent/US20100052255A1/en
Publication of US7637506B2 publication Critical patent/US7637506B2/en
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F1/00—Card games
    • A63F1/06—Card game appurtenances
    • A63F1/18—Scoring or registering devices; Indicators
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F1/00—Card games
    • A63F1/06—Card game appurtenances
    • A63F1/10—Card holders
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/00003—Types of board games
    • A63F3/00157—Casino or betting games
    • A63F2003/00164—Casino tables
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
    • A63F9/24—Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for
    • A63F2009/2401—Detail of input, input devices
    • A63F2009/243—Detail of input, input devices with other kinds of input
    • A63F2009/2435—Detail of input, input devices with other kinds of input using a video camera

Definitions

  • This disclosure relates generally to the field of card games and more particularly to the game of blackjack, tournaments featuring blackjack, and broadcasts of blackjack tournaments.
  • the game of blackjack also known as twenty-one (“21”), is a popular wager game played with one or more standard decks of playing cards.
  • the rules of blackjack are described in the game literature and will not be detailed here. The rules also vary slightly depending on the casino or country where the game is played. Suffice it to say that, in most forms of the game, the player makes a wager and then receives two cards face down from a dealer. The dealer receives two cards, one face down and the other face up. The player then elects to either receive one or more cards from the dealer or retains the cards he has, hoping that the sum of the point count for the cards in his hand does not exceed 21. The dealer follows fixed rules as to whether to sit on its two cards or receive one or more additional cards.
  • the player wins e.g., an amount equal to the amount wagered. If the player busts, the player loses his wager. If neither the player nor the dealer bust, then if the sum of the point count of the player's hand is greater than that of the dealer, the player wins. If there is a tie, the player's wager is returned. If the dealer's hand is closer to 21 than the player, the player loses. Aces can be counted as either 1 or 11.
  • the house (dealer) has a slight advantage over the player at blackjack under the rules governing play at all casinos. Therefore, casinos can offer blackjack as wager game in which it may lose money to some players, but in the long run the casino will make money on the enterprise.
  • Blackjack's popularity stems, at least in part, from the great mystique associated with systematic ways of playing the game to minimize the house advantage.
  • a mathematician and university professor, Edward O. Thorp used a computer to analyze the game of blackjack and discovered a set of rules for systematically playing the game of blackjack.
  • Thorp's system takes into account the point value of cards which are exposed to the player during the course of play. If the game is played in accordance with rules developed by Thorp, the house advantage can not only be negated, but actually turned into an advantage for the player.
  • Thorp's book “Beat the Dealer”, second edition, Vintage Books (1966) has emerged as a classic text on blackjack and card counting. The book includes several accounts of Thorp, and others using his system, making large sums of money playing blackjack at casinos.
  • Card counting techniques of which there are several explained in Thorp's book, essentially are techniques by which the player obtains a strategy for determining whether to receive an additional card or cards as a result of noting or counting cards from the deck which have been revealed to the player as a result of having been dealt to the player, dealt face up to the dealer, or dealt to other players.
  • the advantage i.e., statistical probability that a player will beat the dealer using the card counting technique
  • the player may have a strong advantage is when the game is played from a single deck of 52 cards and the cards are dealt down to the last card.
  • the player can determine when a player has an advantage, or when the dealer has an advantage.
  • the advantage is to the player and particularly strongly so (a situation detectable using Thorp's card counting methods)
  • the player places a large wager.
  • the advantage is to the dealer
  • the player places a small or minimum wager.
  • card counting allows the player to gain a statistical advantage over the dealer. The player will profit from his play, provided that Thorp's methods are rigidly adhered to, the player places large or small wagers in accordance with Thorp's rules, and also provided that the rules are not changed during play and the dealer does not cheat.
  • card counting adds to blackjack's popularity, because it works to negate the house edge, casinos, and establishments more generally, have actively discouraged card counting techniques in order to not lose money by offering blackjack.
  • establishments enforce rules that tend to minimize a player's ability to count cards. For example, the establishments engage in practices such as increase the number of decks of cards that are used in the blackjack card shoe, shuffle the “spent” cards with the cards still left in the shoe regularly or after every hand, remove certain features of the game such as surrender and doubling, and even prevent known card counters from entering the given establishment or asking them to leave once discovered. It is estimated that casinos spend large sums to prevent card counting and to catch card counters.
  • This disclosure presents a distinct departure from the prior art, as it describes blackjack tournaments, suitable for offering in a casino establishment, in which card counting is not only tolerated but actually encouraged.
  • the tournaments are conducted in accordance with one or more rules of play that are designed to facilitate counting of cards by card counters, such as dealing from a single deck of 52 cards down to the last card.
  • card counters such as dealing from a single deck of 52 cards down to the last card.
  • the more proficient a player is at the methods of Professor Thorp, or at newer or even better card counting methods the better the player can expect to do at the tournament.
  • tournaments in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure might well be advertised under the banner “Card Counters Welcome!” Conversely, usage of such a banner at a blackjack establishment today in most circumstances would be virtually unthinkable because such establishments intentionally try to frustrate card counting.
  • a method for conducting a blackjack tournament which avoids a risk of large losses to the proprietor of the tournament due to card counting.
  • the method combines blackjack game rules which are favorable for card counters with high tournament prize money in order to encourage card counters to participate in the blackjack tournament.
  • the method includes a step of forming a pool of prize money for paying out to one or more winners of the tournament.
  • the pool of prize money could be formed from entrance fees paid by one or more players playing in the tournament.
  • the pool of prize money may be augmented with sponsorship money from sponsors, e.g., hotels, casinos, television networks, car companies or other advertisers, or other parties.
  • the sponsor of the tournament could also contribute to the pool of prize money.
  • the method further includes a step of providing a set of rules for playing rounds of blackjack at the tournament wherein the rules are favorable to counting of cards by the players.
  • the rules are favorable to counting of cards by the players.
  • the method further includes a step of conducting rounds of play of blackjack using the set of rules wherein during the rounds of play the players in the tournament make wagers and receive winnings with chips provided by the proprietor of the tournament to the players.
  • the proprietor of the tournament is not exposed to losses due to card counting by players playing in the tournament, since the reward for winning the tournament is paid out from the pool of prize money.
  • card counting by the players playing in the tournament may be encouraged since the proprietor of the tournament is not at risk.
  • the set of rules in place during the tournament are favorable to card counting.
  • Such rules may include playing blackjack at each of the tables used in the tournament using a single deck of 52 cards and dealing the cards from the deck down to the last card in the deck.
  • the set of rules may include a rule of exposing all the cards of the players at each table to all the players at the table after each hand of play.
  • the set of rules may include a rule of exposing the cards of players who bust during play.
  • Blackjack tournaments in accordance with the methods of this invention are ideally suitable for broadcasting on television or other entertainment networks (e.g., the Internet or cable TV networks) as entertainment for card players, thereby popularizing the tournament, attracting more players to casinos to play blackjack, and encouraging card counters to participate in future tournaments.
  • the method may further include the step of broadcasting the play of the tournament over an entertainment network.
  • Such broadcasts may optionally include features to provide the viewers with an “inside” look at the game, including identifying the sequence of cards yet to be dealt to players and the dealer during play and including the sequence in the broadcasting of the play, and providing a card counting report in the broadcast of the play.
  • the current card counting report can take a variety of forms, such as showing the distribution of the remaining cards in the deck, a + or ⁇ score or index using the high/low index system explained in Chapter 7 of Thorp's book; the current ratio of tens to others as explained in Chapter 8 of Thorp's book, a table showing the ideal strategy given the current status of cards previously revealed, or otherwise.
  • the broadcasting of the tournament may be accompanied by play commentary by one or more experts in the game of blackjack.
  • the invention can be considered as a novel arrangement of blackjack tournament apparatus comprising, in combination, a facility hosting a tournament of blackjack, the facility including one or more tables where blackjack may be played; one or more video cameras for capturing play at least one of the one or more tables for broadcast to an audience remote from the facility; wherein the tournament is characterized in that a pool of prize money is formed for paying out to one or more winners of the tournament, e.g., at least in part from entrance fees paid by one or more players playing in the tournament or from sponsors; a set of rules is provided for play at the tournament for playing rounds of blackjack at the tournament wherein the rules include one or more rules favorable to counting of cards in a systematic method for playing blackjack; and wherein rounds of play of blackjack are conducted at the tables using the set of rules wherein during the rounds of play the players make wagers and receive winnings with chips provided by the proprietor of the tournament to the players, whereby the proprietor of the tournament is not exposed to losses due to card counting by players playing in the tournament and card counting by the players may be encouraged
  • the blackjack tournament broadcast may optionally include an identification of the sequence of the cards remaining in a deck of cards used at one of the tables; and/or a card counting report, and/or commentary by one or more experts in the game of blackjack.
  • the blackjack tournament apparatus may further include a card sequence identifying apparatus for determining the sequence of cards to be dealt by a dealer to players at one of the tables.
  • the apparatus may take several forms as described herein, including a machine readable code applied to the cards to be dealt by a dealer and a reader for the code.
  • the broadcast may include presentation of the card sequence to the viewers of the broadcast as an additional entertainment feature.
  • television broadcast apparatus comprising a machine readable memory storing broadcast data for transmission over an entertainment network, the broadcast data comprising data representing video of play at a blackjack tournament, a card counting report reflecting the state of a deck of cards to be dealt to players at the table in the tournament, and commentary by experts.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a blackjack table for use in the blackjack tournaments of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 2 is an illustration of a first example of a card counting report which may be provided in a television or other broadcast of the tournament for the benefit of viewers.
  • FIG. 3 is an illustration of second example of a card counting report which may be provided in a television or broadcast of a tournament for the benefit of viewers.
  • FIG. 4 is an illustration of a mechanism for identifying the sequence of un-dealt cards in a shoe.
  • FIG. 5 is an illustration of a marker in the form of a bar code which is read by the mechanism of FIG. 5 in order to determine the sequence of un-dealt cards in the shoe of FIG. 4 .
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of one possible arrangement of the apparatus used in generating a broadcast video signal of a tournament as described herein.
  • Multiplayer blackjack tournaments are described herein that are designed to facilitate and encourage players who approach the game in a systematic way and count cards to determine the best strategy for play.
  • rules and practices for blackjack play at casinos are designed to frustrate or discourage card counters, such as rules increasing the number of decks of cards that are used in a blackjack card shoe, early shuffling of cards, i.e., reshuffling the cards while a significant proportion of the shoe (for example, a third or a half of the shoe) still remains unused, removing of certain game features that may be favorable to the player such as surrender and doubling features, and preventing known card counters from entering the blackjack establishment.
  • the blackjack tournaments of this disclosure preferably combine two features to attract card counters.
  • the tournaments features blackjack game rules and practices which are favorable for card counters.
  • Such rules may include playing blackjack at each of the tables used in the tournament using a single deck of 52 cards and dealing the cards from the deck down to the last card in the deck. Alternatively, more than one deck could be used which is dealt down to the last card.
  • the set of rules may include a rule of exposing all the cards of the players at each table to all the players at the table after each hand of play.
  • the set of rules may include a rule of exposing the cards of players who bust during play, again increasing the exposure of cards and allowing the player to obtain a greater degree of certainty as to the correct strategy as to standing, doubling, etc., and wager size. All three of these rules may be combined. Additional rules favorable to card counting may be adopted.
  • a second aspect of the tournament is that the tournament is structured so that the proprietor of the tournament (the entity awarding prize money to the winner) is not exposed to losses as would be expected to occur if the winnings for every hand were paid directly to the player from the house's bank account.
  • the tournament proprietor forms a pool of prize money which is high enough in order to encourage card counters to participate in the blackjack tournament, but funds the prize money pool from some source or sources that limit or negate entirely the exposure to losses.
  • the pool of prize money could be formed from entrance fees paid by one or more players playing in the tournament.
  • the pool of prize money could also be supplied by or augmented with sponsorship money from sponsors, e.g., hotels, casinos, television networks, car companies or other advertisers, or other parties.
  • sponsors e.g., hotels, casinos, television networks, car companies or other advertisers, or other parties.
  • the sponsor of the tournament could also contribute to the pool of prize money, and thereby limit their exposure to the amount contributed to the pool.
  • the tournament features conducting rounds of play of blackjack using the set of rules favorable to card counting.
  • the players in the tournament make wagers and receive winnings with chips provided by the proprietor of the tournament to the players. For example, each player could receive some value of chips (say $5000 worth of chips), and the tournament has rules for the minimum and maximum wager amounts.
  • Players are eliminated when they run out of chips or their chip total falls below a minimum level. Play continues in rounds, with players being eliminated until a final round of play occurs, and the player with the most chips after the final round wins the tournament. Variations on this general format are of course possible.
  • the proprietor of the tournament is not exposed to losses due to card counting (beyond any amount contributed to the prize pool), since the reward for winning the tournament is paid out from the pool of prize money.
  • card counting by the players playing in the tournament may be encouraged since the proprietor of the tournament is essentially not at risk.
  • a multiplayer blackjack tournament is provided at a facility such as a casino and features one or more competition blackjack tables.
  • the buy-in amount from all players in the tournament is pooled to form the tournament prize money.
  • the tournament prize money may be augmented by sponsorship money from advertisers or the casino hosting the tournament.
  • the entrance fee amount may be credited the operator of the casino to cover its costs in hosting the tournament.
  • Each player is awarded tournament chips at the beginning of the tournament. These chips are used as counters to determine the winner of the tournament. A player is eliminated from the tournament when the player has lost all his/her tournament chips.
  • the number of seats at each Blackjack table is three or five, and is configured when the tournament is set up. Each player plays against the dealer at the table, but not the house—i.e. payouts only affect a player's tournament chip balance.
  • the contestants (players) play at a plurality of the tables simultaneously or in shifts if necessary to accommodate all the players.
  • the tournament consists of a number of betting rounds and each round consists of a predetermined number of hands.
  • the number of hands for the first round is configured when the tournament is set up, the default number of hands for the first round being 30.
  • the number of hands per round is a variable. For example, in Round 1 the number of hands is 30, and in Round 2 the number of hands may be 40. If the tournament has multiple rounds, players start each round with the same number of chips as the first round.
  • the minimum and maximum bet amounts may be variable per round, or fixed for all rounds of the tournament.
  • the minimum and maximum bets are configured when the tournament is set up.
  • the default minimum bet amount is $50.00 and the default maximum bet amount is $1,000.00 ($50.00 ⁇ 20).
  • the minimum and maximum bet amounts increase per round (configured when the tournament is set up).
  • the play in each of the rounds features one or more rules for the game which are favorable to card counters, several of which were described previously.
  • the remainder of the rules may be in accordance with standard practices, e.g., as set forth in Chapter 2 of Thorp's book. Doubling, splitting pairs, surrender, insurance and other features and variations of blackjack may optionally be provided.
  • Blackjack tournaments in accordance with the methods of this invention are well suited for broadcasting on television or other entertainment networks (e.g., the Internet or cable TV networks) as entertainment for card players, thereby popularizing the tournament, attracting more players to casinos to play blackjack, and encouraging card counters to participate in future tournaments.
  • the method may further include the steps of broadcasting the play of the tournament over an entertainment network.
  • Such broadcasts may optionally include features to provide the viewers of the broadcast with an “inside” look at the game which is not available to the players in the tournament, including providing a visual display of the sequence of cards yet to be dealt to players and the dealer during play, and providing a visual display of a card counting report in the broadcast of the play.
  • the current card counting report can take a variety of forms, such as showing the distribution of the remaining cards in the deck, a + or ⁇ score or index using the high/low index system explained in Chapter 7 of Thorp's book “Beat the Dealer”, second edition; the current ratio of tens to others as explained in Chapter 8 of Thorp's book, a table showing the ideal strategy given the current status of cards previously revealed, or otherwise.
  • the broadcasting of the tournament may be accompanied by play commentary by one or more experts in the game of blackjack.
  • the invention can be considered as a novel arrangement of blackjack tournament apparatus.
  • the apparatus includes a facility such as casino hosting a tournament of blackjack, the facility including one or more tables where blackjack may be played.
  • the apparatus further includes one or more video cameras for capturing play at at least one of the tables for broadcast to an audience remote from the facility.
  • the tournament is characterized in that a pool of prize money is formed for paying out to one or more winners of the tournament, e.g., at least in part from entrance fees paid by one or more players playing in the tournament or from sponsors.
  • a set of rules is provided for play at the tournament for playing rounds of blackjack at the tournament wherein the rules include one or more rules favorable to counting of cards in a systematic method for playing blackjack.
  • Rounds of play of blackjack are conducted at the tables using the set of rules wherein during the rounds of play the players make wagers and receive winnings with chips provided by the proprietor of the tournament to the players.
  • the proprietor of the tournament is not exposed to losses due to card counting by players playing in the tournament and card counting by the players may be encouraged.
  • the blackjack tournament broadcast may optionally include an identification of the sequence of the cards remaining in a deck of cards used at one of the tables (either in whole or in part); and a card counting report, or commentary by one or more experts in the game of blackjack.
  • FIG. 1 is an illustration of a table 10 that may be used for play of blackjack play a tournament of this disclosure.
  • the table 10 includes a dealer position 12 , and player positions 14 , 16 and 18 . While three player positions are shown it will be understood that the table may accommodate a different number of players, such as 5 or more.
  • the dealer deals cards from standard deck of 52 playing cards which are housed in a shoe 20 . Each player has a pile of chips 22 , 24 , 26 from which to place wagers on hands of play. While the cards 28 are shown face up in FIG. 1 , it will be understood that during play each player receives their initial two cards face down and cannot see the cards held by other players. Additional cards, if any, dealt to each player are dealt face up.
  • the dealer's cards are dealt in the usual fashion, one face down and one face up, with additional cards dealt to the dealer dealt face up.
  • the dealer can be considered as having an infinite bankroll of tournament chips.
  • each player at a table it is quite possible for each player at a table to end up with a greater number of tournament chips than at the commencement of the round.
  • the increase in tournament chips comes from the dealer's bankroll. It is worth noting again that at the commencement of each round of play all the players have the same number of tournament chips.
  • “spent” cards 23 are collected on the side.
  • the next hand of play continues and each player is dealt two cards face down and the dealer receives one card face down and another card face up. Play continues as before.
  • the dealer continues to deal from the deck of cards 21 in the shoe until the last card in the deck is deal, all the “spent” cards are gathered up, reshuffled, placed in the shoe and play then continues.
  • the process repeats at the table until players run out of chips at which point they are eliminated from the competition, or the round of play ends. At the end of the round, any players without a minimum number of chips are eliminated. Alternatively, the player(s) with the lowest amount of chips at each table are eliminated.
  • Players advance to subsequent rounds are gradually eliminated, and the rounds continued until a winner emerges.
  • Players are not allowed any aids for counting cards and must rely solely on their memory, their knowledge of their card counting system, and ability to quickly apply the system. Play is also not delayed unduly to give a player time to work out the correct play according to their system.
  • the table 10 features one or more video cameras 40 .
  • Such cameras 40 are strategically placed to capture all the play at the table, Additional cameras could be placed adjacent to the dealer's hands and the player's hands to capture the cards which are dealt to the players for the benefit of the viewer.
  • the cards dealt to the players could be determined by means of a card identifying mechanism incorporated into the shoe and described subsequently in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
  • the broadcast could be accompanied with a display of a card counting report in order to illustrate the state of the deck of cards, the probabilities facing the players, the correct strategy, etc, in order to stimulate further interest in the tournament.
  • the format of the card counting report can take any variety of forms, two of which are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
  • the card counting report 100 consists of a table of two columns.
  • the left hand column 102 shows the point value of cards in the decks (Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all scored 10, Aces are scored 1 or 11 and are shown merely as Aces).
  • the right hand column 104 shows a distribution of each point value remaining in the deck. For example, at some given state of play the deck may contain four Twos, three Threes, no Sevens, etc. as shown in FIG. 2 .
  • the card counting report 100 takes the form of a table showing card counting scores or indexes in various card counting systems that are currently popular.
  • the table includes a column 120 which identifies the system, and a second column 122 that gives the running count in that system.
  • a third column 124 includes a running count in a side count, and a fourth column 126 that provides a still further count in the system, which may incorporate or depend from the counts in the other columns.
  • a dashed line in FIG. 3 indicates that the count or index is not used in the system. While only two systems are shown in FIG. 3 (K-O and High-Low), the report of FIG. 3 may include any arbitrary number of systems.
  • card counting reports of FIGS. 2 and 3 are offered by way of example only and not limitation and other formats for card counting reports are of course possible.
  • the card counting reports may be shown displayed in conjunction with the video of play in any convenient manner, e.g., to the side of the video of play, as a scrolling text on the bottom margin of the display, or in any other format.
  • the broadcast of the tournament may feature the sequence of cards which remain to be dealt to the players and the dealer, such sequence of course not being available to the players or the dealer.
  • the tables at the tournament have some means for identifying the sequence of the cards in the deck.
  • the means for identifying the cards could be incorporated into the shoe from which the cards are dealt.
  • FIG. 4 One example is shown in FIG. 4 .
  • the shoe 20 contains initially a deck of fifty two cards 21 .
  • Each card 21 is provided with a bar code 50 ( FIG. 5 ) which appears on the face of the card.
  • each of the cards is positioned one at a time adjacent to a bar code reader 52 which reads the bar code 50 on the face of the card.
  • the reader will read each card in sequence and send the sequence of cards to a computer which is used to generate card data for the broadcast of the tournament. While a bar code and bar code reader are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , other mechanisms may be used, such as incorporating the bar code reader into the table 10 ( FIG. 1 ) and passing the cards over the reader prior to loading the cards into the shoe.
  • FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the apparatus which may be used to generate a broadcast of a tournament in accordance with one possible embodiment of this invention.
  • the apparatus includes studio cameras and voice recording equipment 200 which capture voice and video of the host of the tournament program and experts on blackjack who provide commentary on the play.
  • the apparatus further includes cameras 40 which are present at the tournament tables to capture video and sound of the play of the game and the cards dealt to the players.
  • the apparatus further includes the card sequence identifying apparatus 52 which may take the form of the bar code reader 52 shown in FIG. 4 .
  • the apparatus further includes a computer 204 which receives the bar code data from the bar code reader and converts the bar codes to card values.
  • the computer 204 is programmed to compute card counting reports as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
  • the audio/video feed from the studio cameras and voice recording equipment 200 and the table cameras 40 are fed to a broadcast production studio 206 for mixing and editing to generate a broadcast signal for distribution over an entertainment network 208 .
  • the computer 204 provides card count reports and card sequence data to the broadcast production studio 206 for mixing, editing and addition to the broadcast signal.
  • the resulting broadcast signal typically in digital format, is generated at the studio and stored in a memory (not shown).
  • the broadcast signal is then distributed via the entertainment network 208 to viewers.
  • the entertaining network 208 may take the form of a cable television network, Internet, or other network.
  • the tournament can be viewed on a television set 210 having a display 212 .
  • the display 212 includes video of the tournament play captured by the cameras 40 at the tables, voice over commentary by experts captured by the studio camera and voice recording equipment 200 , and video data comprising superimposed card counting reports 214 or card sequence data for cards remaining in the deck.
  • a method for conducting a blackjack tournament comprising:
  • a method for conducting a blackjack tournament comprising play occurring at one or more blackjack tables where players in the tournament play against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:
  • the rules comprises a first rule of playing blackjack at each of the tables used in the tournament using a single deck of 52 cards and a second rule of dealing the cards from the deck down to the last card in the deck;
  • Blackjack tournament apparatus comprising, in combination:
  • a facility hosting a tournament of blackjack the facility including one or more tables where blackjack may be played;
  • one or more video cameras for capturing play at at least one of the one or more tables for broadcast to an audience remote from the facility
  • the tournament is characterized in that a pool of prize money is formed for paying out to one or more winners of the tournament;
  • a set of rules is provided for play at the tournament for playing rounds of blackjack at the tournament wherein the rules include one or more rules favorable to counting of cards in a systematic method for playing blackjack;
  • rounds of play of blackjack are conducted at the tables using the set of rules wherein during the rounds of play the players make wagers and receive winnings with chips provided by the proprietor of the tournament to the players, whereby the proprietor of the tournament is not exposed to losses due to card counting by players playing in the tournament and card counting by the players may be encouraged.
  • the card sequence identifying apparatus comprises a machine readable code applied to the cards to be dealt by a dealer and a reader for the code.
  • (21) Television broadcast apparatus comprising:
  • broadcast data for transmission over an entertainment network
  • the broadcast data comprising data representing video of play at a blackjack tournament, a card counting report reflecting the state of a deck of cards used in the tournament, and commentary by experts.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Paints Or Removers (AREA)
  • Luminescent Compositions (AREA)
US11/521,967 2006-09-14 2006-09-14 Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof Active 2026-09-30 US7637506B2 (en)

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US11/521,967 US7637506B2 (en) 2006-09-14 2006-09-14 Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof
AU2007214029A AU2007214029B2 (en) 2006-09-14 2007-08-28 Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof
CA002600227A CA2600227A1 (en) 2006-09-14 2007-09-04 Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof
ES07253661T ES2376592T3 (es) 2006-09-14 2007-09-14 Torneos de blackjack con reglas que estimulan el conteo de cartas y la retransmisión de los mismos.
EP07253661A EP1900401B1 (de) 2006-09-14 2007-09-14 Blackjack-Turniere mit Regeln zur Kartenzählung und deren Übertragungen
DK07253661.8T DK1900401T3 (da) 2006-09-14 2007-09-14 Blackjack-turneringer med regler, der opmuntrer til korttælling, samt udsendelse deraf
AT07253661T ATE531433T1 (de) 2006-09-14 2007-09-14 Blackjack-turniere mit regeln zur kartenzählung und deren übertragungen
US12/590,349 US20100052255A1 (en) 2006-09-14 2009-11-05 Blackjack tournaments with rules encouraging card counting and broadcasts thereof

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US10482708B2 (en) 2006-09-05 2019-11-19 Cfph, Llc Game apparatus for displaying information about a game
US8657291B2 (en) 2006-09-06 2014-02-25 Cfph, Llc Card game with counting
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US8523183B2 (en) * 2008-01-10 2013-09-03 Cfph, Llc Card game with counting
US10140819B2 (en) 2008-01-10 2018-11-27 Cfph, Llc Card game with counting
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US20110180993A1 (en) * 2008-01-10 2011-07-28 Lee Amaitis Card game with counting
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US11189126B2 (en) 2008-10-16 2021-11-30 Cfph, Llc Card selection and display and restoration
US10553067B2 (en) 2008-10-16 2020-02-04 Cfph, Llc Card selection and display and restoration
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US9320963B2 (en) 2008-10-20 2016-04-26 Cfph, Llc Two stage card select
US8662978B2 (en) 2008-10-21 2014-03-04 Cfph, Llc Display change and/or state save in game and/or game series
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US10192395B2 (en) 2012-04-25 2019-01-29 Fresh Idea Global Limited Electronic gaming device
US9230398B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2016-01-05 Fresh Idea Global Limited Wide area table gaming system
US10013847B2 (en) * 2013-09-03 2018-07-03 Fresh Idea Global Limited Table games using portable devices
US20160225220A1 (en) * 2013-09-03 2016-08-04 Fresh Idea Global Limited Table games using portable devices
US9311773B2 (en) * 2013-09-03 2016-04-12 Fresh Idea Global Limited Table game tournaments using portable devices
US10460555B2 (en) 2013-09-03 2019-10-29 Fresh Idea Global Limited Table game play using portable electronic devices
US8808077B1 (en) * 2013-09-03 2014-08-19 Novel Tech International Limited Table game tournaments using portable devices
US10058768B2 (en) 2015-04-21 2018-08-28 Fresh Idea Global Limited Automated playing card retrieval system
US9931562B2 (en) 2015-04-21 2018-04-03 Fresh Idea Global Limited Automated playing card retrieval system
US11113923B2 (en) 2015-10-30 2021-09-07 Fresh Idea Global Limited Gaming table systems for overlapping game play
US10529168B2 (en) 2015-10-30 2020-01-07 Fresh Idea Global Limited Gaming table systems for overlapping game play
US10366563B2 (en) 2016-08-19 2019-07-30 Fresh Idea Global Limited Electronic table game poker system and methods
US11354972B2 (en) 2016-08-19 2022-06-07 Fresh Idea Global Limited Electronic table game poker system and methods
US11113932B2 (en) 2017-08-01 2021-09-07 Fresh Idea Global Limited Electronic gaming machine supporting table games
US10909815B2 (en) 2018-02-05 2021-02-02 Sg Gaming, Inc. Method and apparatus for administering a token collecting game
US10688383B2 (en) 2018-10-22 2020-06-23 Fresh Idea Global Limited Gaming object flipping apparatus for electronic gaming machine
US11040273B2 (en) 2018-10-22 2021-06-22 Fresh Idea Global Limited Gaming object flipping apparatus for electronic gaming machine
US11395958B2 (en) 2018-10-22 2022-07-26 Fresh Idea Global Limited Game object randomization apparatus for electronic gaming machine
US10878664B2 (en) 2018-10-26 2020-12-29 Brandon Zyxnfryx Entertainment machine

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DK1900401T3 (da) 2012-02-06
US20080067743A1 (en) 2008-03-20
EP1900401A3 (de) 2008-07-09
EP1900401B1 (de) 2011-11-02
ATE531433T1 (de) 2011-11-15
AU2007214029A1 (en) 2008-04-03
EP1900401A2 (de) 2008-03-19
CA2600227A1 (en) 2008-03-14
US20100052255A1 (en) 2010-03-04
AU2007214029B2 (en) 2009-07-30
ES2376592T3 (es) 2012-03-15

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